Thank you to Ace Books Pub and NetGalley for my free books for review.

Julie Leong's "The Teller of Small Fortunes" captivated me from the first page, a rare find in today's literary landscape.

This fantasy weaves adventure, memorable characters, and a compelling quest with magical storytelling. Tao, our protagonist, navigates her journey with determination and wit, her fortune-telling abilities both a gift and a burden. Her growth throughout the story resonates deeply as she learns to trust her instincts and embrace her unique talents. Straddling two worlds where she feels unwelcome, Tao's quest becomes as much about finding her place as it is about her magical abilities, creating a poignant exploration of identity and belonging.

The secondary characters shine just as brightly. Silt, the recovering thief, brings levity and loyalty to the group. Mash, the stoic warrior in search of his lost daughter, slowly opens up, revealing layers of complexity. Kina, the baker with odd-shaped pastries and a heart of gold, rounds up the group. Their interactions mirror the dance of new friendships - awkward, challenging, yet ultimately rewarding.

As the characters bond over shared trials, their growing camaraderie becomes the heart of the story. Leong skillfully portrays the nuances of budding relationships, from initial wariness to mutual trust and support. This authentic depiction of friendship formation elevates the narrative beyond a typical fantasy adventure.

Reading this book feels like wrapping up in a cozy blanket on a winter evening. It's a low-stakes, heartfelt journey that lingers in the mind long after the final page. For fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate character-driven stories and the quiet magic of everyday connections, "The Teller of Small Fortunes" is essential reading. Fans of "Legends and Lattes" will find a kindred spirit in this charming tale.

Thanks to Berkley for the gifted ARC!

This is for the cozy fantasy girlies who love fortunes, found family, and impactful endings. The surprise for me here was the immigrant perspective done well in this setting. A great one to read while you wait for Sangu Mandanna’s next witchy book!

I enjoyed the cozy vibes of this one. The Teller of Small Fortunes is a heartwarming tale that embraces the found family trope and follows a rag tag team of adventures on their quest. We have Tao, an immigrant who reads small fortunes to avoid big consequences, who unexpectedly finds herself joined by an ex-thief, an ex-mercenary, and a young (not very good) baker. Each character’s growth is satisfying, and their friendships bring a comforting, homey feel to the story. The narrative tackles the subject of racism in a respectful manner while keeping the cozy atmosphere. There is a very minor romance subplot and an overall delightful sense of whimsy, and in typical cozy fantasy fashion there is a touch of capitalism, but it keeps the uplifting feel-good vibe.

I would <b>NOT</b> recommend the audiobook version. The narrator sounded congested and nasally, which was very distracting. The mixing quality wasn’t great either and you can audibly hear the narrator taking deep breaths at the end of most sentences and a lot of words, which broke the immersion for me. Basically, if you have audio sensory issues, it’s best to avoid this audiobook and just stick with the physical book. 🖤

Thank you so much to Ace & PRH Audio for providing me with an early copy.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this was a lovely new addition to the cozy fantasy genre; with an intriguing cast of characters (including a cat!) and an interesting magical system, readers who enjoyed legends and lattes and the phoenix keeper will enjoy the teller of small fortunes

First of all, let me tell you how much I love this cover. It's magical. The story starts slowly with young women traveling alone telling fortunes; not big fortunes, but small ones. It becomes quite apparent that she's hiding from something or someone and desperately wants to keep her abilities under the radar. Of course, she meets up with a collection of sidekicks and discovers the true family is oftentimes found family and there are no limits to what you would do to protect those that have a part of your heart.

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a wonderfully cozy fantasy. The story is sprinkled with magical touches and centers on a heartwarming found family. Tao, an immigrant woman, travels the country telling small fortunes, avoiding big ones to prevent serious consequences. However, one fortune sets her on an unexpected path.

Though she used to travel alone, she soon finds herself accompanied by an ex-thief, an ex-mercenary, and a young baker. The bonds formed within this little group are truly heartwarming. I especially loved watching each character grow and become even better versions of themselves. There’s a charming sense of adventure throughout the story, even if the adventures are gentle ones. This is a delightful read, perfect for anyone who enjoys a cozy fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Ace for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Oh my goodness this book was so cozy and wonderful and PERFECT. I wanted all of the characters to come to life and share some funny-looking but delicious baked goods around a campfire. Such a comforting, lovely book that felt like the gentlest hug. Great for fans of Travis Baldree and D&D players who wish their campaigns featured more stopping to smell the roses (or pastries!).

Sheer perfection of a cozy fantasy novel. Found family. A smidge of romance (between secondary characters). Animal companions with personality. Everything turns out exactly as it should in the end, after some suspense (and happy tears on multiple occasions from this reader) in the last third. Think: A Psalm for the Wild-Built meets Legends & Lattes. I adored this.

What a great debut this was!

I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I’d definitely classify this as “light fantasy”; it was super easy to get into, and there wasn’t a lot of technical/hard world building.

I really loved the idea of a fortune teller that only tells small fortunes, and Tao was such a great MC. This felt very “coming of age” in how Tao approaches the world, and the people she meets along the way with the found family trope made this such a delight. All of the other characters in her group were lovable, and the dynamics between everyone were funny, sweet, and heartwarming.

The plot and the antagonists felt very low stakes, which I liked and thought it fit really well with the story. The focus is more on Tao and her personal growth, and how that unfolded throughout the book in amongst all the side quests was fun.

This was very much a cozy, comfort read with a bit of adventure, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Tao is adrift in a world that doesn't have a place for her. She is a Shinn immigrant in a country that distrusts outsiders. She has minor magical abilities to tell small fortunes, which should keep her under the radar of the Mage's guild. In order to escape the shackles of her Eshteran merchant stepfather's plans and the mage's council, she escapes the eastern city of Margrave and travels west in a small covered wagon. But a traveling life doesn't bode well for making friends and maintaining relationships - that is until a lucky meeting with two men looking for a lost girl, an apprentice baker with a need for new experiences, and a very strange cat!
This cozy magical tale has delightful characters, exciting challenges, and a satisfying finale that will leave you hoping for more and longing for an adventure of your own. Grab this title as soon as you can, brew a warm pot of tea, and don't forget the scones and cinnamon rolls - you're in for a treat!

With a dash of found family and a sprinkle of genuine friendship, this book is the ideal fusion of cozy fantasy and travel adventure. Outstanding character development and world-building. Definitely a must read!

The Teller of Small Fortunes delivers a low-stakes, slow-paced, emotional and sweet story that fans of cozy fantasy are sure to enjoy!

The story follows Tao, an immigrant fortune teller who travels from village to village on her wagon drawn by her mule, Laohu, emphasizing that she tells small fortunes only. Though small, her fortunes are true, and can still have a bigger impact they it may seem.

Tao has been alone for a few years and has kept from making any connections after leaving her mother and step-father (and the mage guild they wanted her to join). On her travels, she unexpectedly builds a found family and they end up on a quest to find a missing girl. They have adventures, and help Tao open up and find comfort in the companionship.

While the world is fantastical, it appears to be based on a country in Asia (China?) which Tao is originally from, and a Western European country where she now lives. Leong weaves Tao's experiences with racism, prejudice, and culture erasure into the story elegantly, capturing what so many are familiar with.

My one issue with the book was that we are once again inventing a baked good that exists already, something I've encountered before in a "cozy fantasy", but taking it a step further by having a seemingly white (at least definitely NOT Asian) character "inventing" fortune cookies, which felt counterproductive to Tao's journey.

Reminiscent of Legends & Lattes and A Psalm for the Wild-Built, this story of healing, forgiveness, adventure, and friendship is a journey not to miss!

Thank you Berkley/Ace and NetGalley for the ARC!

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller who tells small fortunes while also being haunted by the shadows of her past. She leads a lonely life, until being recruited by a former thief and ex-mercenary in their search for a lost child. Soon, a talented baker joins their adventure.

Is there anything more enchanting than having a wagon and a mule named Laohu as companions? This book is whimsical and cozy with Studio-Ghibli-vibes - the grumpy Mash, charming Silt and passionate Kina are the perfect companions for Tao and the reader. I delighted in their interactions, in the way the side characters add richness to Tao's personality while helping each other find themselves. I found satisfaction in the character arc, of characters longing for something, moving forward to growing comfortable with one another and finally seeing the world differently.

One dwells on the many adventures that incorporate a more meaningful touch when followed by Leong's anecdotes and own experiences being Chinese-Malaysian-American. The mysterious and unburdened storyline is not devoid of depth, instead, Leong infuses a balanced dose of magic (did I mention a mythical creature and cat?) that emphasizes the weighty themes of fate versus choice, forgiveness, loneliness, meaning of home, identity and belonging. What Leong does brilliantly is to provide a realistic reflection of the diasporic experiences (especially regarding race and ostracism) through the world building. Furthermore, the most personal aspect is the subtle observations on the cultural loss, which can resonate with people caught between cultures like myself.

If there's one thing I could add, I would have loved an epilogue dedicated to Tao, as I didn't have enough of her and wouldn't have minded reading 100 more pages. While I thought that the forgiveness was given too easily, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book.

With descriptive writing, THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES is a comforting tale about found family with a unique cast of characters that offers affecting meditations. Unexpected kindness reigns the narrative and this cozy fantasy is the right kind of hopeful in the hard times.

“The Teller of Small Fortunes” is the definition of cozy fantasy. It reads just like a cozy video game that makes you feel happy and warm inside.
This book tells the story of Tao, who only tells small fortunes, as she believes they come with “lower consequences”. We follow her and her new found friends, as they embark on their traveling adventures.

It took about half the book for it to pick up. Again, very “low-stakes”, but mesmerizing all the same. With lovable characters and a warm feeling all around.
The perfect read for this time of year and reading while enjoying a warm pastry is highly encouraged.

This book was the perfect fall book for me. It had just the right about of action but still remains a mostly cute and cozy story of found family and reunited family. To say that I sobbed the last 4 or 5 chapters wouldn't be an exaggeration at all, I kept having to wipe my eyes to see the pages.

This was such a cozy story.

It follows Tao, the teller of small fortunes, as she travels between villages. Along the course of the story, she adds people - a semi-reformed thief, an ex-Mercer she, and a baker- and a cat to her group. They travel together in search for a lost child.

I loved the way this group came together. The journey they take, how they open up to each other, and support one another.

Read if you like books featuring
~ found family
~ adventures
~ a hint of magic

Thx Berkley for the eARC.

4+ stars

Utterly delightful and heartwarming!! The blurb is absolutely right that this is perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna!

We have Tao, a traveling teller of small fortunes, and the friends she gathers along her travels: Mash, a former mercenary looking for his daughter, Silt, a former thief and Mash’s friend, and finally Kina, an apprentice baker. Nor can we forget the friendly mule and the scraggly cat! This is found family to perfection. This ragtag group has small adventures as they travel, but they have big impacts.

I cannot emphasize enough how heartwarming this story was. I definitely teared up several times, and the ending had me grinning with tears in my eyes.
This is the perfect low stakes cozy fantasy you’re looking for, and I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I really can’t resist a cozy fantasy anymore. I love the knowledge that no matter what, there’s likely to be a happy ending for the characters and this provides the perfect escape from busy daily life. The Teller of Small Fortunes initially caught my eyes because of the vibrant cover art and the title itself, which intrigued me.

The Teller of Small Fortunes follows Tao, a young immigrant woman who ran away from home after getting tired of her stepfather controlling her life and her mother’s emotional distance. She set off to become a fortune teller, using her gifts in small ways to earn money and fund her nomadic lifestyle. When we meet Tao, she’s been traveling alone with only her mule for company when she’s joined by two men called Mast and Silt. Mast is searching for his five year old daughter who was stolen away by bandits and Silt is his friend and companion in this quest. Though Tao at first dislikes the company, she soon finds the companionship welcome, even when their group gets a little bit bigger.

This is a relatively low stakes story that still has enough danger and minor conflict to keep the pace moving and the story engaging. Despite Tao’s care in only telling minor fortunes, a mage hunter is still after her and determined to bring her back to the Guild tower. She’s constantly on the lookout for him and has to periodically hide so she isn’t taken back and forced to join the guild and use her magic against her will. Mast is always on the lookout for information about his daughter and Silt is trying to figure out who exactly he is aside from a semi-reformed thief. Another woman, Kina, joins during their travels and she’s looking to see more of the world and hone her baking skills. 

Overall, The Teller of Small Fortunes is a charming story with meaningful character relationships and barely any romance at all (for those of you wondering). As with many cozy fantasy stories, the drama is small scale which is a nice change of pace from epic fantasy where everyone is worried about saving the empire or the world. There is a particular scene where the characters seem like they’re about to embark on a more epic quest, but it turns out to be rather short lived. This didn’t quite fit with the overall vibe of the story, but I think the author made it work out well in the end.

This was a delightful cozy fantasy with relatively low stakes and a really lovable found family. It was a very quick read that was entertaining yet comforting. I would recommend this to people who enjoyed A Psalm for the Wild-Built and Legends and Lattes.

This cozy fantasy follows Tao, a seer who sticks to telling low-stakes small fortunes on her traveling cart led by her trusty mule. One of these small fortunes, a vision of a father giving a kitten to his small daughter, causes grief when the father tells Tao that his daughter is missing. Tao joins up with a baker, a reformed thief, and the father to cross the countryside in search of this missing girl. Along the way, Tao must decide if she will use her vision to help her country. For fans of feelgood fantasy with a hint of mystery.